Do you like statistics?

Consider this:

• There are 6 billion smartphone users in the world.
• The Apple App Store has 1.96 million apps available for download.
• Mobile apps are expected to generate over $935 billion in revenue in 2023.

For many businesses there's just one question: “How much does it cost?”

Of course there's no definitive question to that answer. (Although I bet you hoped to find it here, didn't you?) The cost of a mobile app can vary greatly depending on a number of factors.

Factors that influence the price of mobile app development

• Complexity – what an app will actually be capable of doing for its users.
• Mobile platforms – whether an app will be developed for forexample iOS only or has an Android version as well.
• Integration points – will an app be integrated with third-party apps that will be the source of its content.
• Use of smartphone hardware features – whether an app will be using such smartphone features as GPS navigation, NFC technology, motion co-processor, Augment Reality tech, and other technologies that are packed into smartphones or tablet computers.
• Maintenance plan – once an app development project is over, certainly it will require technical support from its developers to provide updates that patch bugs or introduce new features.

Stages of an app development

Every app development should go through different phases.

1. Discovery/Pre-Research stage

This is the initial stage in which you must conduct a comprehensive market and business analysis to ensure your app idea is feasible and has a demand in the market.

Creating a detailed development plan is important to ensure the entire app development project runs smoothly and becomes successful. In WDF, we are focusing on the strategy so we can understand the app requirements and expectations fully. With a proper plan everything can go smoothly and we can move to the second stage.

2. UI/Design stage

This phase involves designing the overall UI and UX with the help of wireframes and prototypes.

Since the appeal and user-friendliness of an app play a critical role in its success, it is important to spend a considerable amount of time and money in the app designing phase to ensure a perfect design is made before starting the development process. The app design phase requires no specific amount of time or cost. Typically, it also takes about 10% to 15% of the overall app development budget.

3. Development stage

Development is the major part of the whole mobile app development process, it’s about the actual coding of every feature that an app is supposed to have.

4. Testing and Deployment stage

It’s impossible to conceive any app development project without testing and deployment stages. Once the app is built, the next step is to thoroughly test the app and make sure the app is working as per the requirements and expectations.

In WDF, the first and second phases are waterfall style - that is, there is a fixed price upfront for analysis, strategy and design. Development then proceeds in an agile manner. This means that there is a predetermined number of hours per month and you pay per hour.